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Here are some interesting, useful, entertaining and/or informative posts from the Cyrius office. We hope that they can help you or your business in some way. Please feel free to comment, subscribe to our news feed or re-post anything you find interesting on your own blog, providing you reference this site as the source.

Happy New (Financial) Year

Friday, July 06, 2012

Another financial year over. How was it for you? Did you celebrate? Breathe a sigh of relief? Work yourself up into a mild panic over your tax burden? 2011–12 has been an interesting year for us here at Cyrius.

It seems the whole ‘two speed economy’ concept might have a kernel of truth in it. Perhaps it is more a chaotic multi-speed economy. It certainly does seem a little more volatile and unpredictable these days than before – the economic climate seems to be changing as much as the actual climate. What with the Euro crisis, the USA recession, mining booms, bank scandals, interest rate and currency fluctuations, it’s like the financial equivalent of nature’s floods, storms, bushfires and droughts.

We have experienced ups and downs with many of our clients. Some who are usually experiencing booms have struggled to scrape through, while others who often do it tough seem to be getting on rather well. I guess it is all part of the fun and games of business and society these days, as technology evolves so fast, bringing game changers and disruptors, making ‘business as usual’ a thing of the past and the only predictable thing being how unpredictable everything has become.

One thing is for sure, in an age of great change and upheaval, there are always going to be great opportunities. All one needs to do is look for them. How are things changing? What new needs, trends or patterns are arising from the chaos? How are people being affected and how can we help them?

A big opportunity, I believe, is optimisation. When things get out of control or out of balance, there will always be ways to improve efficiency, eliminate waste, tighten up loose ends and clean up the mess. Old patterns often represent bad habits that never needed addressing while everything was on an even keel. Now, when costs are unpredictable, any cost saving, including time saving and productivity efficiency, is going to be very appealing indeed.

Perhaps as we enter this new financial year, it is a great opportunity to reflect on just how efficient and effective your entire operation has been. Can you highlight and expose areas where you might have been a little lax, or where change has led to convoluted processes? Have you been spending money in areas that are simply not worth it any more? Have you been getting value for money out of the necessary expenses?

Take stock, reflect, clean-up, organise and rethink. That old adage of keeping a level head while everyone else around you is flipping out might be quite apt now. If things are as unpredictable as they seem, is it not the perfect time to get as much under control as you possibly can? At least you will know that you are doing your very best, and giving yourself the best chance to succeed against the odds.

Happy New Year! Here’s to an exciting, albeit tumultuous and unpredictable year ahead!